Monday, November 30, 2015

Alex Dawn is saying no
to men. No to bad relationships, disappointments, and smooth-talkers. Focusing
on her family and her job at Payton and Sons Automotive keeps her mind occupied
and her heart content. She doesn’t really miss a man’s touch, until one night,
one shows up with the body of a god and a voice from her dirtiest dreams.

L.M. Spencer is only in
Tory, Maryland, to scope out the town as a possible site for one of his
company's hotels. The British businessman didn’t expect his car to break down
or to find the hottest little American he’s ever seen holding a tire iron,
piercing him with bright blue eyes.

They agree to one hot
night, one dirty deed to burn out the chemistry between them. But from their
first kiss, Alex can’t stop saying yes to this man. And when Spencer’s company
threatens everything she cares about, they must make the choice to stand
together or apart.

Megan
Erickson grew up in a family that averages 5’5” on a good day and started
writing to create characters who could reach the top kitchen shelf.

She’s got a couple of tattoos, has a thing for gladiators and has been called a
crazy cat lady. After working as a journalist for years, she decided she liked
creating her own endings better and switched back to fiction.

She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids and two cats. And no, she
still can’t reach the stupid top shelf.

Praise for MEGAN
ERICKSON:

“A
super sweet, extra sexy second chance romance that will have you laughing out
loud and needing a minute to cool off. Dirty Thoughts is right!”
— Jay Crownover,
New York Times bestselling author

“Megan Erickson ratchets up the romance and sizzle in her sexy new series. The
Mechanics of Love will rev readers’ hearts.”
— Jennifer Ryan,
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

USA Today bestselling contemporary romance
author Toni Blake continues her new, heartwarming series set in the beachside
town of Coral Cove. This time the town troublemaker, Jeremy Sheridan, gets his
chance at love!

Tamra Day swore off men
a long time ago. Her art, her friends, and her garden have always been
enough…until now. Suddenly Tamra is aching for a connection. Unfortunately,
Coral Cove’s most eligible bachelor is the troublemaker who’s building the
mini-golf course she’s designing. Brusque and sarcastic, he’s made it a habit
of annoying Tamra. But more infuriating is the fact that Tamra can’t help
noticing how sexy he is.

They call him a war
hero, but Jeremy Sheridan knows better. Still haunted by painful memories from
Afghanistan, he’s just hoping for a fresh start. So far, the only problem is
his new boss, Tamra, a control freak who’s easy on the eyes—and way too fun to
tease.

Despite their
differences, Tamra and Jeremy aren’t as alone as they think they are. And
together, with a little Coral Cove magic, they’ll discover how good it feels to
embrace a bright new future.

He was only vaguely aware of nearing a tall privacy fence, painted a weathered
sort of white, before passing through the open gate. He caught sight of Tamra’s
legs and tennis shoes, too, and said, “Am I about to walk into anything?”

“No, you’re good,” she said.

“Where am I going with this thing? I want to put it down once.”

“Well, I haven’t had a chance to plan for this, so it might have to be
twice—unless you want to stand there holding it while I think.”

“Nope,” he said, and let it drop right in front of him on the stone.

And then he took in everything around him.
It was as if he’d entered a whole new world. One of lush greenery and bright
blooms. Her entire backyard was a beautiful garden. “Shit, you weren’t lying,”
he said without thinking.

“About what?” she asked.

“You could be
a landscaper if you wanted.”

“Thanks.” She sounded shockingly
bashful. It threw him, drew his gaze to her face.

She was actually blushing a little. He wondered why, but didn’t spend
much time trying to figure it out as his attention was drawn back to the
garden.

From the trees hung delicate windchimes and other pieces, all made of
colored glass. He caught sight of a blue glass bird that seemed to be flying past,
and numerous butterflies in yellow, purple, pink. From the ground sprung the
occasional birdbath, and more pieces of glass mounted on wrought iron sticks—a
green glass dragonfly, a row of glass daisies. In between it all ran the stone
path—it seemed to make a circle around the yard, and near the house, where they
stood, it widened to encircle a large fire pit. Wooden chairs rimmed the pit,
and farther back in the garden he caught sight of a hammock that looked like
the perfect resting spot.

“This is . .
. freaking amazing,” he told her.

“Yeah?” she asked. Again, she sounded so much more delicate than
usual.

“Yeah.” He nodded, still taking it in.

The truth was, he kind of never wanted to leave. It was. . .the perfect
place to be alone, the perfect place to hide.

And then. . .he understood. The same way he liked to hide—so did she.

When his gaze returned to her, he saw her differently.
He understood her better now—not completely, not by a long shot, but better. He’d
sensed a certain beauty in her before—he’d witnessed hints of it wanting to
creep out from around her more rigid persona—but now he really saw it. Looking
down at her, here, she was…prettier. Her eyes more innocent. Her lips fuller,
softer. Maybe he was crazy, or maybe the late day shadows were playing tricks
on him, but she was truly beautiful here in a way he’d never seen her look
before.

About the Author:

USA
Today bestselling author Toni Blake’s love of writing began when she won an
essay contest in the fifth grade. Soon after, she penned her first novel -
nineteen notebook pages long. Since then, Toni has become a RITA-nominated
author of more than twenty contemporary romance novels including her recent
2014 RITA nomination for Half Moon Hill the last installment in her popular
Destiny series. Her books have received the National Readers Choice Award and
the Bookseller’s Best Award, and her work has been excerpted in Cosmo. Toni
lives in the Midwest and enjoys traveling, crafts, and spending time outdoors.
Learn more about Toni and her books at www.toniblake.com.

Taking
a journey to Coral Cove is always exciting and satisfying, and [TAKE ME ALL THE
WAY] is a fan­tastic addition to the series. The romance between the characters
is poignant and real, giving readers a story to get com­pletely caught up in.
Blake has written another winner! — RT Book Reviews

This December, take a break from dreidel
spinning, gelt winning, and latke eating to experience the joy of Chanukah.
When you fall in love during the Festival of Lights, the world burns a whole
lot brighter.

It’s
definitely not love at first sight for Amanda and her cute but mysterious new
neighbor, Ben. Can a Chanukah miracle show them that getting off on the wrong
foot doesn’t mean they can’t walk the same road?

Lawyers in
love, Shari Cohen and Evan Sonntag are happy together. But in a moment of
doubt, he pushes her away-then soon realizes he made a huge mistake. To win her
back, it might take something like a Chanukah miracle.

When
impulsive interior designer Molly Baker-Stein barges into Jon Adelman’s
apartment and his life intent on planning the best Chanukah party their
building has ever seen, neither expects that together, they just might discover
a Home for Hannukah.

All Tamar
Jacobs expected from her Israel vacation was time to hang out with one of her
besties and to act like a tourist, cheesy t-shirt and all, in her two favorite
cities. She definitely was not expecting to fall for Avi Levinson, a handsome
soldier who’s more than she ever dreamed.

Megan Hart is a New York
Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than thirty novels, novellas and
short stories. Her work has been published in almost every genre, including
contemporary women’s fiction, historical romance, paranormal and erotica. Learn
more at www.meganhart.com

Jennifer Gracen hails from Long
Island, New York, where she lives with her two young sons. After spending her
youth writing in private and singing in public, she now only sings in her car
and has fully embraced her lifelong passion for writing. She loves to write
contemporary romance and romantic women’s fiction for readers who yearn for
better days, authentic characters, and satisfying endings. When she isn’t
taking care of her kids, doing freelance copy editing/proofreading, reading, or
talking to friends on Twitter and Facebook, Jennifer writes. She’s shocked her
family hasn’t yet staged an intervention for her addiction to social media. But
the concerts she gives in her car and the dance parties she has in her kitchen
are rumored to be fabulous.

Stacey Agdern is an award
winning former bookseller who has reviewed romance novels in multiple formats
and given talks about various aspects of the romance genre. She also a romance
writer. You can find her on twitter at @nystacey. She’s a proud member of both
LIRW and RWA NYC. She lives in New York, not far from her favorite hockey
team’s practice facility.

KK Hendin writes books where
people flirt awkwardly, make out, dish out a whole lot of sass and
ridiculousness, and live happily ever after. She’s the author of many books,
including the TWELVE BEATS IN A BAR series and the upcoming UNDERCOVER series.
She also writes books as K. Hendin, where people aren’t as nice and Happily
Ever After isn’t a guarantee. KK is currently writing way too many books, and
is still waiting for the subway to run on a regular schedule. When she’s not
playing book Tetris in an attempt to fit everything onto the bookshelves in her
tiny NYC apartment, she’s probably wandering her neighborhood with her camera
or drinking yet another cup of coffee.

Chanukah Fun with KK
Hendin—

Favorite Chanukah Memory
or tradition:

My
favorite memory is from the first year I lived in Israel. I was in school
there, and we had the afternoons off that week. A bunch of us wanted to do
something fun before lighting the menorah in the evening, but we were all too
poor to do anything that really cost money. So we split up into two groups and
wrote a ridiculous list of things to do. The goal was to see which group could
do more things on the list, with picture evidence to make sure nobody lied. By
the end of the afternoon, we had done things like decorate a public bathroom,
confuse the heck out of a bunch of soldiers, ask random strangers both silly
questions and very serious questions, and hired ourselves to work at people's
restaurants. And all for the price of a bus ticket.

My
favorite tradition...hmm…lighting the Chanukah candles every night is really
nice, because we do it as a family. Everyone gets together in the living room,
and we all light our menorahs together, and sing. And laugh when my dad reminds
us not to go near the candles, because when it comes to menorahs, he seems to
forget we're all perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves near fire.

Favorite Chanukah
Dish/Dessert:

It's
traditional to eat both dairy products and fried food on Chanukah, which is the
greatest possible combination of foods to eat. One Chanukah night every year,
we ignore the concept of a balanced meal for dinner and have latkes, homemade
french fries, and a bunch of different kinds of cheese. It is a ridiculous
overindulgence, and the next day everyone just eats salad as a recovery food.
(I eat my latkes with cottage cheese, not applesauce. I don't understand the
appeal of latkes and applesauce. I'm sorry.)

(When
I called my mother to make sure I got the latke recipe correct, I mentioned
eating latkes and cottage cheese. Her response was something along the lines
of, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?? WHO EATS LATKES AND COTTAGE CHEESE??".
When I reminded her that I have ALWAYS eaten latkes and cottage cheese
together, she told me she probably blocked the memory.)

The recipe we use for
potato latkes is our potato kugel recipe tweaked.

Potato Latkes (Or Potato
Kugel)

5
pounds potatoes

1
large white onion

(You
can substitute a zucchini for a few of the potatoes if you want for
the potato kugel.)

6
eggs

(1/2
cup oil-for kugel)

1
tablespoon Salt

Pepper

LATKES: In a large mixing bowl,
mix together the eggs, salt and pepper. Use a food processor to shred the
potatoes and onions, then add to the mixing bowl. Form into patties, and fry
them in oil. Serve with applesauce, sour cream, or–to quote my family—if you're
irrevocably broken somehow like KK, cottage cheese. Makes a lot of
latkes.

POTATO KUGEL: In a large mixing bowl,
mix together the eggs, oil, salt and pepper. Cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan in
oil and place it an oven set at 450. Use a food processor to shred the potatoes
and onions, then add to the mixing bowl. Combine all ingredients together, and
the take the mixing bowl directly to the oven, and pour the mixture into the
pan without taking the pan out of the oven. Cook for an hour and a half, or
until the potato kugel is at the consistency and texture you'd like. Serve hot
with anything at all, because potato kugel, and if you have extras somehow,
potato kugel is delicious cold with a bit of mustard on top or dipped in humus.
Makes one delicious pan of potato-y goodness.

(Alternative,
if you're feeling fancy: instead of baking the kugel in a 9 x 13, you can bake
it in cupcake tins for fanciness and extra crispy bits. Adjust temperature and
cooking time accordingly.)

Do you have any real
life experience with finding love during Chanukah?

I
think I really and truly fell in love with Israel on Chanukah- I finally was
settled in, I knew how to get places without taking the bus, and there were an
abundance of cheerful soldiers. It was finally sweater weather, and every
person, regardless of religious observance, was excited about Chanukah, and
about sufganiyot.

Also,
as a New Yorker, getting to go to the beach in December without freezing your
face off is pretty cool.

What was your favorite
scene to write for ALL I GOT?

Besides
the ending? Probably the rain. I've done my share of dance parties in the rain
in Israel, and it was so much fun to write one for Avi.

Friday, November 20, 2015

I know Unwrapping Romance
is all about romance especially that HEA promised us in romance novels but
every so often, I read a book that just deserves a little shout out of
excitement. With the holidays bearing down on us, I can’t think of a better
time to give off some joy for a wonderful, delightful, and cockle-warming
British chick-lit that comes as close to romance as you can get without a
Happily-Ever-After. THE GREAT CHRISTMAS KNIT-OFF by Alexandra Brown is
everything wonderful! Pure Holiday Joy.

***print
copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest and unscripted review—thank
you.

Blurb for THE GREAT
CHRISTMAS KNIT-OFF:

Sybil has always taken
comfort in her knitting, creating beautiful garments stitch by stitch. But her
world suddenly unravels when her fiancé ditches her for her identical twin
sister and things go from bad to worse when an incident jeopardizes her job.Hoping to escape her woes and forget that she'll be alone for Christmas, she
visits her friend in Tindledale—a winter wonderland of quaint shops and snowy
rooftops. Embraced by welcoming—if eccentric—locals wearing handmade knits
reminds Sybil of her own creations and her unrealized ambitions of selling
them. So when the vintage boutique asks her to create a knitting display for
their front window, she's thrilled. The hot town doctor has even taken an
interest in Sybil, hoping to heal her broken heart.But just when Sybil thinks she's going to have her fairy-tale Christmas after all, an unexpected turn of events threaten to unspool her happily ever after.

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~

Life
couldn’t get much lower for Sybil. Her fiancé leaves her at the altar amidst a
Star Wars themed wedding and runs off with her twin sister, and now there’s a
chance, a great chance she will be on the hook for a huge money error at work.
Really not wanting to face anything anymore, she packs up her little dog,
Basil, and heads to Tindledale, a truly quaint little English village that when
she steps off the train, she thinks she’s on a set for FROZEN. She’s eager to
see her best friend, Cher, who will certainly help her see to making sure her
life doesn’t get any more discombobulated but Cher is out of town, and the accommodations
at the Duck & Puddle Pub, which Cher and her chef husband are now running,
were highly lacking. With no other choice, she ventures to the Bed and
Breakfast on the other side of the village. There she meets the incorrigible, Lawrence
Rosenberg, host extraordinaire, and leader of the Tindledale Players. Lawrence
sets her on the right path to discovering more about herself, her life, her
desires, than she ever knew, and even encourages her to take a chance at love. Taking the road not
traveled was the last thing she ever expected when she began her journey to
Tindledale.

With
a cast of the most delightful, unexpected, funny, endearing, and simply lovely
characters, I would love to live in a place like Tindledale. I fell in love
with this book so fast it surprised me. Although, we are greeted with not one,
but two states of despair…first with Hettie, and the prospect of her losing her
precious House of Haberdashery in Tindledale, but then Sybil whose life is a
complete disaster…Alexandra Brown manages to makes us smile and even laugh.

I
was sick as a dog with the cold from hell while reading this but I couldn’t
have asked for a better escape into a warm, loving, and cozy read to make me
feel better and smile. Okay, it’s sweet, most definitely, but its also romantic comedy at its holiday
best. I can see this story being made into one of those wonderful feel good
holiday movies that you want to take out once a year and watch it yet again. I can
see reading this every holiday season for that feel good heartwarming
experience too. I’m not a knitter, and it doesn’t matter but I would taking up knitting
just to be invited to one of Syb’s and Hettie’s delightful natters…that seems to
be what a gossip session is called in England. Tindledale is the most welcoming
place on the planet, I think. Like I said, I’d love to live there.

I
highly recommend reading THE GREAT CHRISTMAS KNIT-OFF by Alexandra Brown if you’re
a fan of feel good, cozy holiday stories, funny clumsy kind of comedy, and I’ll
clue you in…Sybil has everything come together for her and even has a hottie town
doctor a little head over heels for her. Go ahead…take a trip to Tindledale and
when it’s over, you can imagine your own HEA for Sybil.

Happy
Reading Everyone!

THE
GREAT CHRISTMAS KNIT-OFF by Alexandra Brown, William Morrow, available now in
print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

***click
on links above or cover below for purchasing information, remember even pennies
per sale using my links help keep this blog alive. Thank You.

Successful
matchmaker Brianagh O’Rourke believes in happily-ever-afters...just not her
own. She’s convinced passion only exists in her dreams. When she reluctantly
accepts a marriage proposal, Bri decides she needs a vacation―but she didn't
expect it to be in 13th century Ireland.

THE PAST

Laird
Nioclas MacWilliam just wants peace for his clan. The time for him to marry has
come, and after waiting years for his ally to present their daughter, he’s
agreed to marry another. But on the eve of his nuptials, a daring rescue brings
his missing betrothed right into his arms.

And she
does not want to be there.

THE FUTURE

Brianagh
has to return to the future. Nioclas has to marry. He offers a solution for the
both of them: She marries him and stays for three months, and they work
together to convince his clan they are a love match. In return, he vows to
safely return her home. But as the days turn to weeks, they both begin to see
what a happily-ever-after could be. And when the time comes, does Brianagh
return to the life she’s built, or does she remain in the past for a chance at
true love?

My Review:

Life was moving along well for Brianagh O’Rourke.
Her matchmaking business was soaring, and her boyfriend just proposed to her.
So why was she feeling trapped? A getaway was in order, but Brianagh had no idea
just how far away her getaway would take her.

Laird Nioclas MacWilliams had waited as long as
possible for the woman promised him over twenty years earlier to return to
Ireland and be his wife. If he didn’t take another for a bride soon, there
could be trouble within the clans. When the O’Rourke daughter suddenly appears,
speaking strangely, and telling him tales of a faraway world much different from
his own in 13th Century Ireland, he only begins to understand the
meaning of trouble.

It takes Brianagh a while to believe where her
cousin, Reilly, has taken her but it only takes a moment to recognize the man
who has lived, and loved her, in her dreams for nearly a lifetime. Together, can they
protect the future by saving the past? When it’s time to leave Nick to return
to the future, will she be able to, or will love urge her stay?

With a delightful sense of OUTLANDER time
travel, THE WINTER LAIRD is quite different actually. Unlike Claire, Brianagh
discovers she is actually from the past rather than the future even though she
has a hard time believing it. Her destiny lies with Nioclas MacWilliams in the
past yet she is spoiled by the delights of living in the future. So which will
she choose, the love of her Irish Warrior or hot running water and the spoils
of the 21st Century? You’ll have to read this amazing debut novel by
Nancy Scanlon to find out.

Mind
you, I usually read books with steamy sex scenes in them but rarely mention
them except in passing unless the book is a truly page melting, but you’ll not
find any of that in THE WINTER LAIRD. I have to admit, it hinted at some steam
between Nick and Brianagh but that existed only in their dreams. The heat level of this
one is very low but if you’re looking for a good story, a well thought out time
travel plan, and wonderful characters, THE WINTER LAIRD by Nancy Scanlon is a must read. I am eager to see what comes next. Nancy left us with some
mysteries that have me intrigued and I do hope she follows up on them in the
rest of the series. Aiden couldn’t have just disappeared…or could he?

I
highly recommend THE WINTER LAIRD, book one in the Mists of Fate series by
Nancy Scanlon to anyone who loves something different, something thought
provoking, action-filled, humorous, charming, and starring some characters that
you just want to revisit again and again. Comhghairdeas (Congratulations) Nancy!

Happy
Reading Everyone!

***eARC
provided by author in exchange for an honest and unscripted review

Excerpt from THE WINTER
LAIRD:

“The women are spying on
us from under the benches,” Aidan said as he bounced on the balls of his feet,
waiting for Nioclas to finish his drink. Admiring his sword, he added, “Been
there for about ten minutes or so. I give them another twenty before they get
cold and head back into the castle.”

Nioclas sighed. “I’m
unsurprised. Does Erin still think no one knows about her forays into the
lists?”

Aidan shrugged and
quickly crossed swords with his brother. “Of course. I’m certainly not going to
tell her. She’ll skewer me on the end of her sewing needle whilst I sleep.”

“Are you that afraid of
a wee lass?” Nioclas mocked, jumping back and just avoiding the tip of Aidan’s
blade. “I don’t think Donovan has much trouble with her.”

“Oh, I’m sure Donovan
has complete control over his wife,” Aidan replied, and they both grinned as
they hacked away at each other. “I don’t think he’s ever been privy to the full
extent of Erin’s talents, though.”

Nioclas ducked and
rolled out of Aidan’s path, springing back up and crossing blades once more.
“I—oof—doubt he would’ve agreed to marry her, had he known.”

“Marriage. I don’t envy
you, brother. Shackled for life. I hope she is worth it.” Aidan ducked,
narrowly avoiding the at of Nioclas’s blade, then spun to avoid it again.
“Saints, Nick, I was only—oof— is there something you care to talk about?” he
asked sardonically as Nioclas’s attack intensified.

“None I care to tell
you,” Nioclas replied, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his
hand.

“Well, you’re putting on
quite a show for her.” They circled each other. “Mayhap this will be a love
match yet—” Aidan’s sword went flying. He watched, open-mouthed, as it soared
through the air. Someone called out, and men scattered as the blade went
hilt-over-tip, landing about twenty feet from where they stood.

He looked at his brother
in alarm. Nioclas had never bested him by forcing his sword from his hand. That
was something they’d agreed long ago was unnecessary between them. War was
never far, and neither wanted the other without his sword if it broke.

“Love is for fools,”
Nioclas growled before stalking off.

It was a rare thing for
Nioclas to lose his temper, especially in the lists. Bemused, Aidan watched him
go, then threw a wink over to the source of his brother’s obvious discomfort.

Smirking at the feminine
gasps, Aidan collected his sword and sauntered off.

About the Author:

Born and raised near Boston, Massachusetts,
Nancy Scanlon wrote her first romance novel at age 16, when she realized that
fictional boyfriends were much easier to figure out than real ones. In the time
since, she managed to earn a degree in English, obtain a graduate certificate
in creative writing from the University of Cambridge, and marry the man of her
dreams (but she still holds tight to her fictional boyfriends).

Currently, she resides in Puerto Rico with her
husband, two children, and two dogs. When not writing, Nancy spends her time
reading, reviewing, and blogging about romance novels, watching too much HGTV,
and taking care of her family.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Welcome to the TAKING THE HIGH ROAD – THE ROGUE
NOT TAKEN by Sarah Maclean Blog Blitz. Sarah MacLean is going to take us on a
journey with Lady Sophie Talbot when she stows away atop a carriage belonging
to the Marquess of Eversley. What fun. I’ve got an excerpt from the book for
you at Stop #7 and then a giveaway so have a good time. Oh, by the way, if you
pre-order a signed print copy from WORD Bookstores, you will also get a
beautiful printed copy of the this amazing map showing the journey created by artist,
Amy Solomon. Click HERE
for more information on how to pre-order your signed copy. Happy Travels
Everyone!

THE ROGUE NOT TAKEN by Sarah Maclean, releasing December 29, 2015 from Avon Romance.

Blurb for THE ROGUE NOT
TAKEN:

Lady
Sophie’s Society Splash

When
Sophie, the least interesting of the Talbot sisters, lands her philandering
brother-in-law backside-first in a goldfish pond in front of all society, she
becomes the target of very public aristocratic scorn. Her only choice is to
flee London, vowing to start a new life far from the aristocracy.
Unfortunately, the carriage in which she stows away isn’t saving her from ruin
. . . it’s filled with it.

Rogue’s
Reign of Ravishment!

Kingscote,
“King,” the Marquess of Eversley, has never met a woman he couldn’t charm,
resulting in a reputation far worse than the truth, a general sense that he’s
more pretty face than proper gentleman, and an irate summons home to the
Scottish border. When King discovers stowaway Sophie, however, the journey
becomes anything but boring.

War? Or
More?

He thinks
she’s trying to trick him into marriage. She wouldn’t have him if he were the
last man on earth. But carriages bring close quarters, dark secrets, and
unbearable temptation, making opposites altogether too attractive . . .

Great North Road Map Reveal: Destinations

and author
annotations:

Stop #1: "Sophie Stows Away" (English
Country Estate near London)

Author Commentary:There
are moments in life when you know that you just can't go on without a change.
Lady Sophie Talbot, the youngest of the infamous Talbot Sisters (darlings of
the gossip rags and nicknamed the Dangerous Daughters) knows this is the case
when she lands her odious, philandering brother in law backside-first in a fishpond
at a major event of the London Season. And so, Sophie does what's necessary. “I
simply need conveyance home,” she requests of Kingscote, Marquess of Eversley,
notorious rake, and her only chance of escape. Sophie's desperate, and in
possession of the Marquess's boot, so she thinks she has a leg up, so to speak.
King has other ideas.

Stop #2: “The Carriage”

Author Commentary:

Lady Sophie Talbot, youngest and least
interesting of the scandalous Talbot sisters (think 19th Century Kardashians)
isn't so uninteresting once she's decided to stow away atop a carriage
belonging to the Marquess of Eversley -- notorious rogue and her recent
nemesis. Indeed, she cannot wait for the horrible man to discover that she's
disguised herself as an outrider and stolen conveyance home to central London.
There's just one problem...

Stop #3: “The Fox and
the Falcon Posting Inn”

Author Commentary:

By the time Lady Sophie Talbot finds herself
outside the Fox & Falcon Posting Inn, miles from her home in London, she's
realized she's made a huge mistake. She only ever intended to hitch a ride home
to Mayfair--and simultaneously stick it to the arrogant, handsome, horrible
Marquess of Eversley, who happens to be minus a boot, thanks to Sophie. Suffice
to say, things got out of hand. And now, dressed as a male servant in the drive
of a roadside inn, things are about to get much, much worse.

Stop #4: “Beware
Highwaymen!”

Author Commentary:

Suffice to say, being on the road with an
arrogant aristocrat is no fun at all, so Lady Sophie Talbot does what any
self-respecting woman would do, she "borrows" his money, and gets
herself on the next mail coach north. All seems fine -- until Highwaymen
arrive, and that arrogant aristocrat arrives just in time to see her entire
plan go pear-shaped.

Stop #5: “The Warbling
Wren”

Author Commentary:

Being shot on the Great North Road isn't exactly
a thing people expect to happen, and Lady Sophie Talbot finds herself in the
rooms above The Warbling Wren pub, under the welcome care of a rather mad
doctor and the watchful eye of the rather infuriating (and infuriatingly
handsome) Kingscote, Marquess of Eversley. There are worse things, she
supposes. Or are there? Not for King.

Stop #6: “Mossband”

Author Commentary:

Lady Sophie Talbot, youngest and least
interesting of the infamous Talbot sisters, has decided that her best bet to
escape London and the aristocratic life for which she'd never been intended is
to take herself home -- to the small village on the Scottish border where she
spent the first ten years of her life. And perhaps, after a disastrous journey
north, something would go right, and her childhood friend Robbie, now the
village baker, would make good on their silly youthful promises and marry her.
Of course, Sophie isn't alone. She's saddled with the horrible, handsome
Marquess of Eversley. Who has done everything to ruin her plans. Until now.

Stop #7: “Lyne Castle”

Author Commentary:

The Country seat of the Dukes of Lyne, Lyne
Castle is the childhood home of Kingscote, Marquess of Eversley, who left home
at eighteen after a terrible tragedy and never returned. Summoned home by his
ailing father, King finally returns--with the unexpected addition of Lady
Sophie Talbot, irritating and somehow irresistible. The estate boasts one of
the most complicated labyrinths in Britain...where King and Sophie find solace,
and heartbreak, and each other.

Excerpt from THE ROGUE
NOT TAKEN:

Sophie would want love.
She’d want it pure and unfettered, given freely, along with all its trappings.
She’d want the marriage and children and happiness and promise that came with
it.

King could see it, the
life she wanted. The line of little girls, blue-eyed and brown-haired, in love
with books and strawberry tarts. For a moment, he imagined them smiling at him
the way their mother did, filled with happiness and hope.

For a moment, he let
himself believe he might be able to give it to her.

But she would want love,
and he would never be able to give it.

He didn’t have it to
give anymore. And those children, they would never be his.

He set her down on the
edge of the fountain, coming to his knees, as though she was Ariadne and he the
Minotaur, worshipping at her feet, adoring her even as he knew she could not
survive in the labyrinth, and he could not survive beyond it.

“Tell me about last
night,” he said softly, looking up at her, his hands at the hem of her skirts.

“What—” She caught her
breath as his fingers explored the skin of her ankles. “What about it?”

“I hated it,” he said.
“I hated stopping.”

She pressed her lips
into a thin, straight line. “I hated that you stopped.”

His hands were beneath
her skirts, pushing them back, farther and farther, up and over her knees. He
pressed his lips to the inside of her knee, swirling his tongue there, loving
the little gasp of surprised pleasure that came at the touch.

“I hate that I will have
to stop today, as well."

For more information about THE ROGUE NOT TAKEN by Sarah
MacLean, please feel free to visit her website.

News Flash:
Announcing a sublime – and scandalously wonderful – new series from New York
Times, USA Today and Washington Post bestselling author Sarah MacLean!

The
author aroused immediate interest when she announced this high-concept affair:
“I'm thrilled to announce my next project -- the Scandal & Scoundrel
series, which I pitched to my editor as ‘Old School TMZ,’" says
MacLean. “It’s modern celebrity gossip with a pre-Victorian twist.
Basically, this is my way of convincing my husband that all those glossy
magazines in our house are ‘work necessities.’

The
first novel in the series, THE ROGUE NOT TAKEN (Avon Books; ISBN 9780062379412;
eISBN 9780062379399; on-sale 12/29/15) is a riff on a certain elevator
incident made famous at a Met gala several years ago. But in MacLean’s
imagination, the scurrilous turns absolutely sensational, as a ballroom
imbroglio sets off a very heated carriage journey along the Great North
Road. It’s a long way from London to Scotland…you would be quite amazed at
how much drama can ensue between a seemingly ill-matched duo on such a wild
ride!

Smart
Bitches Pull Quote: “The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean is my favorite
book of hers to date. If you’ve read her, or know me, then you know that I just
said a thing.”

About Me

I am a lover of all things literature but there is a special place in my heart for Romance Novels of all sorts. Yes, I am proud to proclaim that I read Romance Novels. Some day, I hope to proclaim, that in addition to being a reader of romance, that I am an author of romance as well.

I love Unwrapping Romance, Romance Novels and their Authors - 60 million readers can't be wrong!

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